A wild, rockin' ride from city pubs to outback Australia

By Cameron Woodhead

MUSICALBARBARA AND THE CAMP DOGS ★★★★½Written by Ursula Yovich & Alana ValentineMalthouse Theatre, until March 3

Musical theatre has been fertile ground for Indigenous artists over the past decade, with our main stages hosting everything from livewire cabaret to poignant plays with songs.

In an already strong field, Barbara and the Camp Dogs stands out. It’s got something special – an urgent and raw dramatic drive that takes it beyond the bounds of cabaret, or even killer rock gig, into the arena of fist-pumping, fully-fledged Indigenous rock musical.

Two soul sisters, Barbara (Ursula Yovich) and René (Elaine Crombie), eke out a living as musicians in Sydney.

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The love is deep – they were raised by the same mother in Katherine – but they drive each other batshit crazy, and among the show’s highlights are roof-raising sing-offs between them. When the sisters discover their mum is dying, they must travel (Barbara very reluctantly) back to the Northern Territory.

Ursula Yovich.Credit:Brett Boardman

Barbara’s anti-authoritarian streak and taste for the wild side lead to some hilarious scrapes, including a scene where they don saris after Barbara books the band to play at a large Indian reception.

At length the camaraderie and comedy fray into troubled, angry and piercingly desolate terrain, as Barbara encounters the unresolved trauma of the past, which threatens to derail her present.

The music is incredible ... a show with enough bangers for two musicals.

The music is incredible. From awe-inspiring soul contests to slick pop offerings with country and folk influences, ballads laced with unsung agonies and rousing punk-rock anthems, this is a show with enough bangers for two musicals, and you’ll want to rush out and buy the soundtrack (available at the bar for $20).

The Malthouse is transformed into a grungy rock pub.Credit:Brett Boardman

Backed by a live band, Yovich and Crombie sing up some absolute scorchers, and they’re a brilliant comic double act. Troy Brady shines as a long-lost brother, and director Leticia Caceres weaves the story effortlessly around and through the songs.

If there’s any criticism of the production it’s that it could’ve used an interval, just to break the drive, and perhaps to mark an emotional turning point in the narrative.

But there’s an equally strong argument for leaving the work unbroken: Barbara and the Camp Dogs is a show that takes the ground from under you, even as it entertains the hell out of you. That’s an experience the audience needs to have, I think, to even begin to grasp the suffering and struggle that goes into forging such a brilliant sound.

Troy Brady.Credit:Brett Boardman

Refreshingly, the production doesn’t whitewash anything – or let anyone off the hook – through false uplift. But it doesn’t need to. With lyrics as sharp as its sense of social justice, it’s an electrifying rock’n’roll gig, a hilarious buddy comedy and a bruising road trip all rolled into one.